ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Alaska high school seniors with disabilities will not need to pass the state's new high school exit exam to graduate this spring.

More than 500 students will be affected immediately by an agreement reached Wednesday in a class-action lawsuit that charged that the exam puts disabled students at a disadvantage.

Education Commissioner Roger Sampson said the agreement signed Wednesday allows disabled students in the class of 2004 to graduate if they have met other requirements for a diploma. Meanwhile, negotiations will continue on how to accommodate disabled students in future classes.

"The agreement will allow both sides to negotiate in good faith the issues raised in the suit to reach a resolution that is fair for all involved," Sampson said.

The lawsuit was filed March 16 in U.S. District Court by Oakland, Calif.-based Disability Rights Advocates. Sid Wolinsky, an attorney with the group, said three-quarters of disabled Alaska students were flunking the graduation test, which assesses proficiency in reading, writing and math.

The exit exam was approved by the Legislature in 1997, but it was later amended and the effective date was delayed until this year.

The Alaska plaintiffs are seeking "reasonable accommodations" for disabled students, such as a read-aloud format for students with dyslexia or judging them on grades, comments in class and performance on projects rather than on a test.

About 18,000 students in all grades in Alaska have qualified for individualized educational programs under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.